10 Interesting the Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts

If you are always interested with the ancient Greek mythology, read the statue of Zeus at Olympia facts. The statue depicted Zeus in a seated position. It had the height of 43 feet or 13 meter. Around 435 BC, Phidias the famous sculptor from Greece created Zeus statue. The statue was placed at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Greece. Let us check other interesting facts about Zeus statue below:

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 1: the materials of the statue

The framework was made of wood. It featured the gold panels and ivory plates.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 2: the ornaments

The ornaments of the Zeus statue included the precious stones, ivory, ebony and gold. The cedar wooden throne was detailed in elaborate pattern used to seat the god Zeus statue.

phidias workshop at olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 3: the beauty of the statue

The beauty of the statue earns the status as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 4: the representation of the statue

The people can only infer the representation and description from the coins of ancient Greek. There was no copy found for the statue. In 5th century AD, the statue was destroyed and lost. Get facts about the Roman Baths here.

statue of zeus at olympia coins

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 5: the coin

The Olympic Zeus status was illustrated in a coin from Elis district, southern Greece.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 6: the construction of Zeus statue

The Eleans commissioned the work of a statue of Zeus. Phidias, a notable sculptor was employed by the Eleans to construct the statue. In the past, the huge statue of Athena for Parthenon was created by Phidias too. Read facts about the Parthenon here.

statue of zeus at olympia facts

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 7: the type of the sculpture

The sculpture found on the statue of Zeus was included as chryselephantine style. It is not easy to estimate the bronze or marble work of the statue for the copy was not existed. People can only infer it from the engraved gems and Roman coins.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 8: the detail description

The detail description about the statue of Zeus was provided by Pausanias. He was a traveler and geographer in the second century AD.

the statue of zeus at olympia

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Facts 9: the decorative look of the statue

The statue of Zeus wore a glass-gilded robe decorated with lily and animal carves. The sculpted wreath of olive sprays was used as the crown.